We Found Love in a Hopeless Place
by gleeforyou
Summary: Hiccup Haddock ended up in Berk while Astrid Hofferson went on to become a star. Five years after high school, Astrid returns to find Hiccup still in Berk. The feelings she had for him haven't faded. Despite the hardships in their lives, she's going to do everything she can to show him that he's
1. Chapter 1

"Hiccup! Yo, Haddock!"

Hiccup Haddock jumped in surprise as the voice of his friend reached him. Turning, he saw Fishlegs Ingerman slide onto one of the stools at the booth. He immediately set about getting the beer that his friend always got whenever he was in town.

"You look as if you're not really here," Fishlegs noted as he watched Hiccup.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "That's really deep, Fishlegs."

"Shup up. You know what I mean. Are you okay?"

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders. "I fine. You know. Same old, same old."

And it was true. For the past seven years, Hiccup Haddock had been doing the same exact thing every day. He would wake up, go to work, and go to bed. He was twenty-five years old and he was still living in a small apartment in Berk.

"How long are you here for?" Hiccup asked after Fishlegs fell silent. He was giving Hiccup that sad look, and that was what he hated the most. So he was going to spend most of the time talking to Fishlegs trying to deflect from this situation.

"About a week," Fishlegs said. "My girlfriend will be coming up to meet my parents in a few days. I'll bring her by so you can meet her."

"I don't spend all of my time here, you know," Hiccup mumbled.

"But when you're not here, you're sleeping," Fishlegs pointed out.

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders as he picked up a cloth and wiped down the bar with it. "The life of a bartender," he said.

Fishlegs was giving him that look again, so Hiccup got him another beer. "Have you heard from Tuffnut and Eret lately"?

Fishlegs smirked at the mention of their two other good friends from high school. " I just talked to Tuffnut, and he's living with his sister in New York. Eret… well, you know. He signed with the Dragon Rider football team."

Hiccup's fists clenched around the glass he was holding. He took a deep breath and forced himself to set it down. "That's right. That's really awesome."

"Hiccup…"

"You know, I have to go down there." Hiccup pointed down at the other end of the bar, where a few of the regulars were sitting. None of them needed Hiccup's help, but he just wanted to get away from Fishlegs sympathetic stare.

This was his life now. This is what he did every day and every night. Nothing was going to chance that.

* * *

Astrid Hofferson scanned the small crowd of people waiting at the airport. When she saw the smiling face of her mother she forced a smile onto her face as well. Her mother immediately pulled her into his arms, hugging tightly.

Hi, Mom," Astrid mumbled. Oh God, she already felt as if she was going to cry. She had told herself that she wasn't going to do this. Astrid took a deep breath and did her best to get a grip on her emotions. "How is he?' she asked.

Alexa Hofferson gave her a sad smile. Instead of answering her question directly, she just said, "He's excited to see you."

Astrid just nodded her head as she followed her mother out of the airport. They went straight to her childhood home, and Astrid didn't like the fact that her dad wasn't there to greet them right away. The house felt empty without him there.

"Your dad will want to hear all about the Emmys," Hiram said. "He's so proud of you, Astrid."

A real smile, as small as it was, actually formed on Astrid's face. "Mom, I wasn't actually the one to win the Emmy."

"Yes, but you're a part of the show that won the Emmy. Be proud of yourself!"

It certainly was something to be proud of. And Astrid knew that a Emmy that was meant solely for her wasn't far off, either. The reviews of the show had praised Astrid. She had been so incredibly lucky to achieve the success that she already had.

But now she was taking a break from the Tv scene. She had returned to her hometown, but she had no idea how long she'd be here.

"When can I see dad?" Astrid asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Alexa said firmly. "For now, I just want you to rest. Why don't you go and see who's in town? I'm sure that you're not the only one of your friends that's visiting."

Astrid rolled her eyes. The only person she kept in touch with in high school was actually living with her up in New York City, and they hadn't even been friends during school. Other than that, Astrid had never really talked to anyone. Once she got out of Berk, she never looked back.

But things had been difficult for her mother lately. So in order to make her happy, Astrid would go wander around town for a little bit. She smiled and hugged her.

"Sure, Mom," she said. "I'll call you if I'll be out too late, alright?"

"Have fun!" Alexa said.

Astrid sighed. Sure. Fun would be exactly what she was having.

It took her an hour, but Astrid eventually found a small bar that was out of the way. It was called McLaren's, and she could remember passing it during high school. Astrid wasn't normally one to drink, but she was in need of a glass of wine. She still had some time to kill, so she decided to stop in.

The bar was dark and musky but had a comfortable feeling to it. Astrid never really imagined herself as being the type to want to spend time in a bar, but she could see it happening here.

It was only a Tuesday night, so the bar wasn't very crowded at all. Astrid went over to the counter and slipped into the booth. She wasn't exactly in a hurry, so she pulled out her phone as she waited for the bartender to notice her.

She had several text messages from her friend, Ruffnut Thorston. Astridl let out a laugh at the messages Ruffnut had sent, as they had all made fun of their hometown. Astrid had offered to bring Ruffnut with her, but she had flat out refused. Astrid began to tap out a response, but a voice interrupted her.

"What can I get for you?"

The deep, familiar voice immediately sent a shiver down Astrid's spine. She glanced up and found herself staring into a pair of Green eyes that she hadn't seen in five years.

Said eyes widened in shock. "Astrid Hofferson?"

Astrid's lips parted in surprise and she said the first thing that came to mind: "You remember who I am?"

She couldn't believe it. Hiccup Haddock was standing on the other side of the bar, and he had remembered her. She had originally met him when she had been a freshman and he had been a junior. Hiccup was the golden boy of Berk high school; he was quarterback of the football team, prom king, and an all-around nice guy.

And Astrid had spent all of high school pining over him. Not that that mattered, or anything.

Hiccup arched an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I remember you? We've lived in the same town for most of our lives and we were at high school together for two years."

"Well, yes, but…" Astrid trailed off and shook her head slightly. She shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. She was sitting in front of Hiccup Haddock, and he was just as attractive as ever—not to mention that he still remembered who she was. Astrid wasn't going to question this moment. "How have you been, Hiccup?"

To Astrid's surprise, Hiccup just shrugged his shoulders and began to wipe down the bar. That definitely hadn't been the young man she knew in high school. The Hiccup Haddock she had seen then was vibrant and full of life. Now, Hiccup just avoided her gaze and didn't respond to the question.

After a moment, Hiccup looked up again with a slight smile forced on his face. "How about you, Astrid? What have you been up to?"

Astrid noticed the deflection of her question, but she decided not to point it out. Instead, she said, "I just finished a lead role in a tv show."

"Hollywood?" Now Hiccup was really smiling, his green eyes twinkling as he repeated her.

"That was always what you wanted to do, right? I remember that you had the lead in all of the school musicals."

Astrid's cheeks flushed. "Yes, it was what I wanted to do." Astrid tried to steer the conversation back towards Hiccup. "What about you?"

Hiccup looked around. "I'm working at this bar. Well, running it every night is more like it. The owner is never here so it's kind of up to me. But I don't mind it."

Astrid tilted her head. The words didn't sound forced coming out of Hiccup's mouth, but there was still sadness in his eyes. Reaching over the bar, Astrid slid her hand over his and squeezed. Hiccup's head snapped up towards her when she did that, and Astrid's eyes widened at the feeling of her hand against his.

"I think you've done really well with the place," Astrid said. "It's not like those other hole-in-the-wall places, you know? It has a very nice feel to it."

Hiccup gave her a smile at her words—a real one. "Thanks," he said softly. He looked down at her hand still over his but didn't say anything. Astrid, realizing that it was still there, hastily pulled her hand away. She bit her lip and tapped her fingers against the bar.

Hiccup, having noticed the movement, said, "Speaking of, what can I get for you?"

"Oh! Just a glass of white wine, please," Astrid said. After seeing Hiccup in the bar, Astrid completely forgot about the reason she had decided to go in the first place. However, Hiccup quickly poured her a glass and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed and Astrid took a long sip of the wine when she felt the tingles run up her arm once again.

"So." Hiccup folded his arms and rested them on top of the bar. Astridl took a moment to watch the play of muscles in his exposed forearms. He was wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The first few buttons on his shirt were undone, revealing his throat and a bit of his chest. Hiccup Haddock had been good-looking in high school, sure. But he was downright gorgeous now.

Astrid managed to pull her eyes away from Hiccup's arms long enough to hear him say, "What brings you back to Berk? I'm pretty sure when I say that it's not as exciting as New York."

Astrid gave a dry laugh at that. "It certainly isn't. But I'm just here to…" Her breath caught in her throat when she thought about the reason she had returned to Berk. She breathed in slowly and deeply through her nose in an effort to calm herself. When she glanced at Hiccup, she saw that he was giving her a look full of concern; he had noticed her change in demeanor.

Astrid took another deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She managed a small smile and finally said, "I'm just here to visit my parents for a little bit."

Hiccup watched her for a moment. He could sense that there was more to Astrid's story than what she was telling him, but he didn't know her well enough to press for information. So instead he returned her uneasy smile and nodded his head.

"Feel free to stop by any time," Hiccup said. "I'll be around."

Astrid looked up at him and bit her lip again. She barely gave herself time to think about the decision she had just made before she said, "We should catch up some time." She didn't know what possessed her to say that. Sure, she had known who Hiccup was in high school and had harbored a huge crush for him, but she hadn't really been friends with him. During the entire two years they had been in high school together, they might have only exchanged a few greetings.

Even so, there was just something about Hiccup. She waited eagerly for his answer and wasn't disappointed when a slow smile formed on Hiccup's face and he nodded his head.

"That sounds great," he said. Just then, a few other costumers came into the bar. Astrid looked up at Hiccup and grabbed a napkin before she dug through her purse for a pen. She quickly wrote her cell phone number on the napkin. She added her name and then passed it to Hiccup as several costumers came into the bar.

Astrid smiled and Hiccup grinned at her before he turned to help the costumers. She slipped off the stool and made her way out of the bar. She decided to head back home, since it was getting late anyway.

Her trip home had already taken an interesting turn. Astrid certainly hadn't imagined it going like this. All of the bad things aside, she definitely didn't mind.

* * *

**So here's the beginning of my new story! I hope that you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Are you ready to go ?"

Astrid put her hairbrush down and turned to face her mother. She took a deep, shaky breath before she nodded her head. "Yes, Mom. I'm ready."

Alexa gave her a sad smile before she hugged his daughter tightly. "He'll be so happy to see you," she said. "You know that, right?"

"Of course I know that, Mom." Astrid gathered up the flowers she bought earlier and picked up her purse. "Let's get going. I don't want to keep dad waiting."

Alexa squeezed her shoulder and they left the house together. The car ride to their destination was silent and a little tense, but only because Astrid was apprehensive. Alexa patted her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. Astrid tried to return it, but she just couldn't.

It was five minutes later when they arrived at the Berk Memorial Hospital. Astrid stared up at the building and took a deep breath before she got out of the car and followed her mom. She had to force herself to take each step. When she got through the hospital doors, Astrid paused and took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to be strong. Not only did she have to hold it together for her mom, but the last thing her dad needed was to see her fall apart.

Astrid caught up to her mom and they stepped into the elevator. Alexa hit the button for the appropriate floor and it only took them a few moments to arrive. With her new resolve firmly in mind, Astrid followed her mom down the hallway until they reached the door the name "Hofferson, Evan" posted outside of it.

"Knock knock!" Alexa called as she rapped his knuckles on the door. She pushed it open and peered in before she stepped completely into the room. Astrid didn't give herself time to think as she walked into the room after Alexa.

Astrid immediately brought her eyes towards her dad and made herself smile. Really, all she wanted to do was cry, since the man in the hospital bed looked nothing like her dad.

Evan Hofferson had been in the Navy and latter had been a police officer. He had always been in great physical shape and was very healthy. Now, however, Evan looked like the shell of the man he had once been. He had lost a shocking amount of weight, and his skin had a sickly, yellow color to it.

"Little star!" Evan greeted with a large smile when he saw his daughter. Astrid actually felt herself relax when she saw that smile—it was one thing that hadn't changed. "Come over here and give me a hug!"

She approached the bed and leaned over to carefully hug Evan. "Hello, Dad," she said softly.

"Where's my smile, Astrid?" He asked. "Come on. I don't look that bad, do I?"

Instead of smiling, Astrid felt as if she was going to burst into tears again. She inhaled slowly in an effort to force herself to calm down and then made her lips stretch into a smile. She saw her mother share a look with her father before he said, "There we go. That's better."

They all knew that it really wasn't.

Evan patted an open spot on the bed, gesturing for his daughter to sit next to him. "Tell me all about the show, little star. I want to know everything."

Astrid did as her father said. She glanced up and noticed her mother slip out of the room to talk to one of the doctor's, and her chest tightened. Instead of trying to see what they were talking about, Astrid turned towards Evan and proceeded to tell him about the last year in New York City.

The car ride back to the house was tense and awkward. Astrid kept her hands clenched tightly in her lap as she looked out the window. She had known that things were bad, but she hadn't imagined that it would be like _that_.

"That wasn't so terrible, was it?" Alexa asked.

Astrid gave her mom an incredulous look. "Mom," she began. "Are you kidding me?"

Alexa sighed and reached over to pat Astrid's hand. "I know that it's hard, princess." Her voice grew quiet as she continued. "But your father has come to terms with what's happening. The only thing we can do for him right now is be there with him and for him."

Astrid stared down at her hands. "What did the doctor say?" she finally asked.

Alexa tried to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"The doctor," Astrid repeated. She turned to look her mom straight on, even though she was driving and couldn't return the look. "I saw you speaking to him. What did he say?"

Alexa let out a slow breath. The news had been hard for him to hear, and it would be even harder for her to repeat it back to her daughter. He waited until they pulled into the driveway before revealing the answer to her question.

"He only has a few months left. They don't know how many, exactly, but it could be anywhere from three to five."

Astrid could feel the tears burning in her eyes again. This couldn't be happening. When she had first gotten the call from her mother six months ago, she knew that it was bad. But she didn't know that it had gotten that bad that quickly. She didn't let herself imagine it, because she didn't think it would come to this. She thought that there would be some miracle, somehow.

"Three to five?" Astrid repeated quietly.

Alexa reached over to hug her. "Your father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer six months ago, sweetie," she told her. As if she needed to be reminded of it again. She knew. "And if he were to live another five months… that would be amazing."

Astrid took a deep, shaky breath. "But you said… you said that the cancer had progressed too far for treatment. That there was nothing they could do about it. So how is he going to fight it for another five months?"

They both knew that the odds were that Evan wouldn't even last to the three that the doctor had told them about. It had been an optimistic prediction, frankly. Five months was too much leeway.

Alexa shrugged his shoulders. Even though his voice was light, his eyes were heavy with sadness. "Your fatehr is a fighter, princess. He can do anything that he sets his mind to. If the doctor said it can be five months, then there's still a chance for that."

Astrid nodded her head and closed her eyes briefly. Even though it appeared that Alexa was being strong, She knew that anything could trigger a breakdown. She had to be strong for her mom and dad, no matter what. Even though all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and cry, she knew that she couldn't. Seeing the sadness and despair in her mother's eyes just proved to her that she had to step up.

Astrid had never imagined that she would be returning to Berk for an extended period of time. She had always planned on coming back for short visits, sure. But she had never really given much thought to a prolonged visit. Once she graduated from High School, she left for New York and never looked back

Now here she was, twenty-three years old and back in Berk once again. Astrid would give anything for that to be changed. But given the situation that she was in, she would never pass up the chance to be with her father for the last three months of his life.

"Are you sure that you don't need me to do any of your laundry, Hiccup?"

"Mom." Hiccup sighed. "I know how to do my own laundry. Though I do appreciate the offer." Honestly, He was just glad that she had long ago stopped offering to make him meals. Hiccup was perfectly capable of cooking his own food; he was quite good at it, actually.

Even though Hiccup couldn't see her, he could tell that his mother was smiling. Even worse, he knew that it was that sad smile that everyone else gave him. "I know, Hiccup. I just want to make sure that you have everything you need."

"I'm fine, Mom. I promise. How have you been?" He just wanted to steer the topic of conversation away from his sad life and how his mother constantly tried to do things for him. He knew that she was only trying to help, but all it did was remind him of the situation he had stuck himself in.

"I've been well. The hospital has been keeping me busy, and Stoick has been keeping himself occupied with the shop, as you know. He actually wanted you to stop in and check up on a car he was having trouble with."

In addition to Hiccup practically running the bar and kitchen he currently worked at, he was still good with cars. He had passed up the opportunity to work at the auto shop with his father because he wanted to have his own career, but he still did help out from time to time.

"Sure. Tell him I'll be in at the end of this week."

"I'll be sure to pass that on." Then Valka's voice grew uneasy. "And… have you talked to Snotlout lately by chance?"

Hiccup snorted. "No. What makes you say that?" He hadn't talked to his cousin since Snotlout had graduated from high school. His mother knew that.

"Well, he is doing good," Valka said. "Stoick and I are very proud of him."

"That's great," Hiccup said dully. How great was it that even his cousin left Berk while him was still stuck in? Hiccup didn't like talking about it, much less hearing about it. Some part of him knew that it was childish and unfair, but at that point, he didn't really care anymore.

Valka sighed. "Maybe if you just talked to him—"

"I really don't want to," Hiccup interrupted. His voice was tense as he spoke, but Valka still didn't let it go. In the seven years since him had graduated from high school, she had done everything she could to try and get her sons to reconcile. It hadn't worked yet, but she wasn't going to give up.

"But if you just try—"

"I have tried. He's the one that said…" Hiccup trailed off and shook his head. "You know what? Never mind. Just tell dad that I'll be by the shop to check out the car at the end of the week. And I'll be at the house for dinner tomorrow night, okay?"

Valka sighed again. "Alright, Son. I love you."

He knew that his mother was just trying to make things better. As most moms did, she was just looking out for him. "I love you too, Mom."

Hiccup hung up his cell phone and threw it on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling before he covered his face with his hands.

This was his life. He should be used to it by now.

But he wasn't.

Astrid needed a drink.

So she found herself heading to the small bar she had found the night before. It was partially because she had had a pretty nice glass of wine for a decent price. But it was also because she had a strange urge to see Hiccup Haddock once again.

The bar was completely empty, which wasn't surprising for a Wednesday afternoon. Astrid walked right up to the bar and knocked her knuckles against the rough, worn wood. Hiccup turned around, and his lips lifted up into a sweet crooked smile when he saw her.

"Astrid, you're back." He caught sight of the look on her face, and his brow immediately furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

She let out a short, sharp laugh. "No," she stated bluntly. "No, I'm not."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

Hiccup quickly got her a glass of the same wine she had had the day before and handed it to her. "Well… if you ever need to talk… I'm willing to listen."

Astrid looked up at him as their fingers brushed. His green eyes were earnest and sincere as he looked down at her. She got the feeling that he wasn't offering to listen to her problems just because. He actually wanted to listen if she ever needed to talk. Astrid relaxed and took a sip of the wine.

"Thank you, Hiccup," she said softly. "That really means a lot."

As they sat in an easy, companionable silence with one another, She couldn't help but wonder how she ended up here. She had never once thought that she would end up sitting across the golden boy that she had a crush on in high school, and she certainly never thought that he would offer to listen to her problems.

Sure, she was a big star now and it didn't matter what anyone in Berk thought of her. But still, there was just something about him… something that Astrid felt inexplicably drawn to. She hadn't felt it anywhere else since she had last seen him.

She set her wine glass down and traced her fingers along the rim. "Tell me, Hiccup. Have things changed much around here? Is there anything to do, or will I be eternally bored?"

Hiccup chuckled. "You might not be eternally bored, but there still isn't a whole lot to do. I'm generally kept pretty busy because of my job here, but you know…" He shrugged his shoulders.

She sighed. "My mother has a business dinner to go to tomorrow, and I'm not really in the mood to be alone. I don't know what I'm going to do to amuse myself for that time." The absolute last thing she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts. She needed to keep herself busy, but she didn't know what to do.

Hiccup's brow furrowed as he thought. He remembered the promise he had made to visit his mother for dinner tomorrow night, and before he could stop himself, the words were coming out of his mouth: "I'm going to my mom's for dinner tomorrow night. You can come, if you want."

She tilted her head, and Hiccup quickly hurried to explain himself. Maybe he just shouldn't have said anything. He could imagine that Astrid was used to much more exciting things than having dinner with his parents. "I know that it won't exactly be exciting, but it would give you something to do. My mom loves meeting new people and I'm sure she wouldn't have a problem having you over. But if you don't want to—"

Astrid surprised him when she said, "I'd love to!" She smiled brightly at him. "What time?"

"Uh…" Hiccup blinked in shock. She had actually taken him up on his offer. "Seven. Here's the address." He found a scrap of paper behind the bar and quickly scribbled the address of his parents' house. "So I'll see you then?"

Astrid's fingers brushed Hiccup's again as she took the paper from him. Her cheeks pinked and she caught his eye. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Hiccup."


	3. Chapter 3

Astrid grabbed her keys and purse from the table next to the door. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror by the foyer and she stopped to check her makeup and hair. When she realized what she was doing, she forced herself to stop and relax.

"It's just dinner," Astrid mumbled. "Dinner with his mother and father." She didn't know why she was freaking out so much. This was just a nice dinner that Hiccup had invited her to. She just needed to relax.

"Dinner with who?"

Astrid jumped and whipped around to face her mother. "I'm just going to dinner at a friend's house tonight. I knew him in high school."

"Oh really?" Alexa immediately picked up on Astrid's use of the word 'him.' "I guess that explains the baking that you were doing earlier today. And who is this boy you're having dinner with?"

Astrid sighed. Yes, it was true that she had baked some banana bread. She couldn't very well show up at the dinner empty-handed. And she was an excellent baker, so she decided to put her skills to good use.

"It's Hiccup Haddock, mom," Astrid explained.

"Oh!" Alexa grinned. "Hiccup Haddock is such a nice boy, princess. It will be good for you to spend some time with him."

"Mom, Hiccup is hardly a boy," Astrid said without thinking. She slung her purse over her shoulder and picked up the platter that had the banana bread on it. It wasn't until she saw the look on her mother's face that she realized what she had let slip.

"Well, I can see that you've certainly realized it," she muttered. When Astrid opened her mouth, Alexa held her hands out. "I'm glad that you're going out and having fun, sweetheart. Have a good night and tell that boy and his parents that I said hello."

"I'll make sure to do that, Mom." Astrid kissed her cheek before she left the house and went out to her car. Alexa watched her go with a small smile on his face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone as she dialed the number for her husband's room.

"Guess what?" Alexa said as soon as Evan answered. "Our little girl has met a boy…"

Alexa had a feeling that his little girl's world was about to be turned upside down… in the best way possible.

* * *

When Hiccup answered the door, he was wearing a frilly apron.

Astrid burst into laughter and Hiccup's cheeks turned bright red. "What?" he demanded even though he knew exactly what she was laughing at. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood taller, as if that would take away from the feminine apron. While it was his fault that he forgot to bring his, it wasn't his fault that it had been the only apron his mother owned.

"I like the apron," Astrid said as she gestured to it. "It really brings your whole outfit together."

"Haha," Hiccup grumbled as he stepped aside to allow Astrid in. Even so, he couldn't help the happy feeling that spread in his chest at how easily he was able to go back and forth with Astrid. They had a repartee that was easy and natural.

She handed him the wrapped platter of sliced banana bread with a smile. "This is for you and your family," she said with a smile.

"Thanks, Astrid," Hiccup said as he took it from her. His fingers brushed against hers as she passed the platter off, and she felt her cheeks heat up. "You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did. I didn't mind it."

Hiccup peeked under the tin foil to see it was and grinned when he caught a whiff of the freshly baked treat. "Banana bread?" Hiccup said. "I love this stuff!"

She smiled at his enthusiasm. "I consider myself an amateur baker. This banana bread is a recipe that my papa taught me." As soon as the words left Astrid's mouth, her chest tightened. She forced the smile to remain on her lips.

Hiccup immediately noticed her change in demeanor, and his brow furrowed in concern. Remembering how their conversation at the bar yesterday went, however, he didn't bring any attention to it.

"Well, it looks great." With a smile, Hiccup gently skimmed his hand on Astrid's lower back and guided her towards the kitchen. He hadn't even realized that he had done it, but she certainly had. A shiver ran up her spine at the light, gentle touch, and she bit her lip. What was Hiccup Haddock doing to her?

"Mom, Astrid is here!" Hiccup called. He heard something crash in the kitchen and he winced. When Astrid gave him a questioning look, he sighed. "My mom was really excited when she heard that I invited you over for dinner," he explained sheepishly.

Astrid cheeks turned pink again as they walked into the kitchen. Something smelled absolutely delicious and Astrid's stomach growled. Valka was checking something in the stove, and she stood and turned to greet Astrid with a big smile on her face.

"Astrid! Come in! We're so glad that you could join us for dinner," Valka said.

"Mom," Hiccup muttered under his breath. He noticed her checking the oven yet again. "I told you it was fine," he added.

"I know, Hic," Valka said. The childhood nickname caused Hiccup to groan and slap a hand over his face while Astrid giggled. "I just wanted to make sure that it was looking okay." Turning to Astrid, Valka explained, "He cooked dinner for us tonight.

Astrid turned to Hiccup and found him rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the floor. "You cook?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I learned when I first started working at McLaren's. I run the kitchen, too, so it seemed like a good idea to learn."

"Well, it smells amazing in here," she praised. She walked over to the stove to inspect the other pots and skillets. "What else did you make?"

"I just finished grilling some steaks in the back," He said. "But I also did some skillet macaroni and cheese and some spinach."

Valka shook her head as an amused smile formed on her lips. "Sometimes, I can't believe that he eats like this now. It used to be all Cheetos and extra-cheesy pizza."

"I like food," Hiccup grumbled. Even though McLaren's served mainly bar food, he had spent the past five or so years messing around with the menu and adding some new things to it. The bar did fairly well and often had people in it, and they responded well to Hiccup's dishes.

Trying to distract his mother for bragging (which was his code word for embarrassing him) about him some more, Hiccup slid the platter that Astrid had brought onto the counter. "Astrid brought some banana bread for us. It smells great."

"That's fantastic!" Valka exclaimed. She not-so-discreetly nudged Hiccup, and he had to stop himself from face-palming again. "And it looks delicious. Now, I'm going to find Stoick and tell him that dinner's almost ready. He must be in the back, watching the game." Valka patted Hiccup's shoulder before she left the kitchen.

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck again before he moved towards the stove. He picked up a wooden spoon and stirred up the skillet macaroni, just to make sure that it was setting well. A small, satisfied smile formed on his lips and he turned back to face Astrid.

"Sorry about my mom," he said. "She's a little over the top sometimes."

She smiled. "She seems wonderful." She had two meddling fathers, so she could relate. At the thought of her dad, and how he wouldn't be around to meddle in her life much longer, Astrid's shoulders slumped as her features clouded over.

Hiccup watched her as he once again wondered if he should say something. He had always been attuned to people's emotions, and, being a bartender, he was also pretty good at reading people.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked gently. She looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly at it. He took a step closer to her. "Are you okay?"

She looked into his warm, comforting green eyes. Her whole situation almost spilled from her lips, but she held it back at the last moment. Instead, she just sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, she forced a smile onto her lips.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

Hicup stared into her eyes. He knew that she wasn't telling the truth, but the last thing he wanted to do was press her for information that she wasn't willing to share. He didn't really know Astrid Hofferson, but he found that he really wanted to. Somehow, he knew that she was going to change things for him.

"Okay," he said. He dipped the wooden spoon into the skillet pasta again and held it out, blowing on it lightly to cool it off. "Would you like to taste it?"

Finally, Astrid cracked a genuine smile. "Sure, I would love to try some."

Hiccup moved towards her, the spoon held aloft in his hand. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about this. It wasn't like he knew her well enough to feed it to her, but Astrid wasn't moving to take the spoon from him either. He slowly lifted it towards her, and Astrid brought her small hand up to cover his on the utensil as she ate the sample.

Astrid 's eyes drifted shut as she chewed. "Mmm, Hiccup," she muttered. She opened her eyes again and beamed at him. "That's amazing!"

"Really?" He asked. He knew that he was a good cook, but he didn't think he had ever seen someone enjoy his food so thoroughly before.

Astrid nodded her head vigorously. "The taste and consistency is perfect. I had no idea that macaroni and cheese could be so flavorful! You have to tell me what you did to it."

"Ah." Hiccup tossed a dish rag over his shoulder as he peeked in the oven to check on the casserole. Satisfied that it was done, he pulled it out and set it on a cooling rack. "I can't tell you all of my secrets, My Lady. I don't want to give all the good stuff away."

"Sure, Hiccup," Astrid teased. She watched him move confidently and easily around the kitchen before she said, "Do you need any help?"

"It's okay, Astrid," He said. "I don't expect you to help—"

"Hey," She interrupted. "Let me help."

He smiled at her before he relented. "If you really want to, I guess you can get the plates and set the table up."

"I'm glad to help," Astrid said. Following Hiccup's directions, she found the placemats, place, and utensils. She proceeded to set it, and she finished up just as Valka entered the dining room with her husband.

"Astrid, I'd like you to meet Stoick ," Valka said. She stepped aside and allowed Hiccup to place all of the dishes on the table. She looked so proud of her son as he finished setting everything down and she smiled when Hiccup pulled Astrid's chair out for her.

"We've met before," Stoick said. He smiled in greeting at Astrid, and she returned it. "You know my nephew Snotlout, don't you? You graduated in the same year?"

Astrid opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped when she noticed the look on Hiccup's face. He glared darkly down at his plate, and his jaw was clenched so hard that a vein was popping. Astrid gave him a worried look, but Hiccup was still staring down at his plate.

"We talked a few times during high school," Astrid answered hesitantly. "But we didn't know each other too well." Despite the fact that Astrid and Snotlout generally ran in the same circle during high school, they hadn't really been friends. It wasn't until their senior year that they had started to talk, and by then it had been too late. They graduated, and she went off to New York.

Valka quickly changed the subject, turning to ask Astrid about her life in New York and what her career was like on TV. As she talked, Astrid watched Hiccup. She noticed how he slowly relaxed and became genuinely interested in what she was saying.

After dinner (which was absolutely delicious—Astrid was very impressed with Hiccup's cooking abilities), she found herself with him in the kitchen as they cleaned the dishes. The silence was comfortable and easy between them. Hiccup would wash the dishes and hand them to Astrid so that she could dry them.

Even though Astrid had a feeling that she shouldn't ask, she was too curious not to. She had to know why Hiccup had been so angry at the mention of Snotlout. The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Are you alright?" Astrid do the same for him.

Hiccup glanced at her in surprise before he smiled. "I'm fine, Astrid. Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed a little… tense at dinner. When we first starting eating, really." As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Hiccup's knuckles turn white, he was gripping the plate he had been washing so hard. "I'm sorry," she quickly said. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked—"

"It's fine," Hiccup said quietly. "Don't worry about it."

The subject was dropped then, and Astrid let it go. If he wasn't going to push her, than she wasn't going to push him. Astrid reached over and squeezed Hiccup's forearm lightly. He relaxed fully under her touch and smiled at her again. She returned his smile and tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi everyone! In the last chapter there were some typos, i'm sorry for this. And be patience, english is my second language. anyways here the new chapter. Enjoy it!

* * *

"I really like Astrid, Hiccup. She's such a nice girl."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I know, Mom. I heard you the first million times."

Valka looked affronted. "I haven't said it that much."

"Yeah, you have." Hiccup gave his mother a pointed look. "You've said it at least twice to me since dinner two nights ago."

"I can tell that you like her, Hiccup. That's why I keep mentioning it." Valka smiled. "I just want you to be happy."

Hiccup sighed. His mother didn't need to know that he actually liked Astrid very much. She was beautiful and she was kind and funny and really sweet. But he was a bartender in Berk and she was a star in New York City. They were just in different situations and Hiccup didn't see that changing any time soon.

He would hang out with her when she wanted to, because his mother was right—it did make him happy. It made him happier than he had been in a long time. It made him forget about the situation he was in and how he hadn't done anything to fix it over the years.

"She's going to go back to New York, Mom," Hiccup said quietly. "She's meant for so much more than Berk and I'm…" He trailed off and shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't meant to let that slip out. His mom hated when he talked like that.

He was proven right when Valka glared at him. "Stop talking like that," she snapped. "Hiccup, when are you going to realize that you're just as special as anyone else? You're meant for so much more, too." She patted his cheek gently, which was something that she always used to do when Hiccup was a kid and he was upset. "You have to believe that."

The thing was that Hiccup didn't believe that at all. He wanted to, but he just… he didn't. He stopped being that optimistic a long time ago. Still, he forced a smile for the benefit of his mother and nodded his head. He hugged her goodbye and kissed her cheek before he left.

Hiccup knew it was sad, but he had stopped believing in himself a long time ago.

* * *

Astrid let out an exasperated sigh as she listened to the woman she called her best friend chattering in her ear. She kept the phone pressed to her ear as she checked on the loaf of banana bread she had in the oven. She was making another one because… well… because it gave her something to do. She didn't have to think when she did this, and not thinking was good.

" Ruffnut —"

"No, really. I think you should fuck him."

" Ruffnut!"

"What?" On the other end of the line, Ruffnut laughed. "Look, you were the typical high school theater geek who had a crush on the golden boy of high school. Now that you're back and better than ever, you have the chance to sleep with the guy. So you should do that."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Ruffnut, you know that I don't sleep around like that. And I…" She trailed off and bit her lip.

"Oh my God. You like him, don't you?"

"Well…" She did. Astrid really did like Ruffnut. There was just something about him; something about his amber eyes, the way he smiled, the way he talked to her. She couldn't help but like him. She had always had a crush on him in high school, and when she had seen him in the bar that day, it was like it had never gone away.

"I guess that's even more of a reason for you to fuck him, then. You like the guy, so go after him!"

"It's not that easy, Ruffnut. I'm not here to find a guy. I'm here to…" Astrid swallowed hard and leaned against the kitchen counter. She couldn't even say the words. How was she going to handle what was happening to her papa if she couldn't even say it?

"Astrid," Ruffnut said softly. The mood had suddenly changed; everything was serious and heavy. At this point, Ruffnut was probably the only person that knew how Astrid was really feeling. When Astrid had gotten the phone call from Alexa telling her about Evan in the first place, it had been Ruffnut that had been there when Astrid had fallen apart.

Astrid hadn't let herself have a breakdown since then. She refused, because she had to be strong for her fathers. It wouldn't help anyone if they knew that she couldn't handle what was happening. God, she couldn't even think the words without wanting to cry.

"I'm okay," Astrid whispered. She cleared her throat and spoke again, forcing herself to make her voice stronger. "I'm okay."

Ruffnut stayed silent for several long moments. She knew her best friend, and she knew that Astris really wasn't okay. She was just pretending that she was. The night that Astrid had found out that her papa had cancer had been a bad night. She had known her for years and she had never seen her lose it like that before. If Astrid kept holding it in, she was going to have a breakdown even worse than the first one.

"But Astrid—" Ruffnut began, but the woman in question interrupted her.

"I have a handle on this" She stated. Astrid honestly didn't believe that for a second, but maybe if she said it enough it would be true.

"Okay," Ruffnut said. She didn't try to push her, because it wouldn't do any good. She only hoped that Astrid would find what she was looking for while she was in Berk. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, something was missing from her life. And hopefully, even though Astrid was there for a truly sad reason, she would find it.

Ruffnut had a feeling that Astrid would find it in the form of Hiccup Haddock.

* * *

Astrid was sitting at the island in the kitchen in front of her laptop. She was clicking through emails from her agent about parts that she could audition for when she returned to New York. She just scanned them, because she honestly didn't know when she would be going back. She adored her agent, Karen Scott, but she didn't know what to say to her. Astrid would be staying in Lima for at least five months, since that was how long her father was expected to live. Even after that, she didn't know how much her father would need her after it happened.

"Hello" Alexa said as he entered the kitchen. He greeted his daughter with a kiss on the top of her head. It made Astrid smile, because that's what she used to do when she was a little girl. "What are you up to?"

"I'm just checking my email. Karen has sent me a few about different parts for when I get back to the city. I don't know if I'll take them, though," Astrid answered as she shut her laptop.

"What are you talking about?" Alex demanded. "I don't think I've ever heard about you passing up a part."

Astrid breathed in deeply. "I just want to focus on being here for you and dad right now." She didn't answer the question directly. Astrid would return, and she knew that there would be plenty of parts waiting for her. She just didn't know exactly when that would happen.

Alexa gave her a look that made her want to curl up in bed and pull the covers over her head. He hugged her tightly. "Oh sweetie. You know that your father wouldn't want you to do that."

Astrid returned the hug before she said, "I have this under control. I know what I'm doing, alright?"

Alexa studied his daughter before he nodded his head. Her little girl was all grown up now, and she had to trust that she knew what she was doing. She smiled at her then and said, "I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so I can't go and visit your papa at the time I normally do. Would you mind going?"

Astrid tensed. She didn't have a problem visiting Evan when she was with Alexa, but it was something entirely different going by herself. She didn't know if she was ready for that just yet.

But she couldn't just say no, either. Someone had to go see him. They couldn't just leave him in the hospital by himself. He was on his own too often as it was, and Astrid was just going to have to suck it up and visit.

"Of course I will," Astrid said. She made sure that her voice was light, and Alexa smiled and hugged her again.

"He'll be so happy to see you," she said.

Astrid managed a tight smile. Of course she would be happy to see her papa and spend time with him, but it was just difficult. Astrid hated knowing that no matter what she did or said, she would be losing him.

She was just going to have to push through it. She had to be strong enough for her family.

* * *

Given that Astrid had so much on her mind, she had volunteered to go food shopping for her mother. It would give her something to do so that she didn't have to think about visiting her papa the next day.

She wished that she didn't feel so horrible about going to see her papa in the hospital. But it all felt so real there. When Astrid was in New York or even at the house in Berk, she knew that Evan had cancer but she didn't have to actually see it. But now she was going to have to see him on her own.

With a sigh, Astrid pushed those thoughts away as she got a cart and began to push it through the supermarket. She tried to focus on just getting the food that she needed—and it actually turned out to be quite a lot. Apparently, Alexa was throwing a business dinner later in the week.

She found all of the groceries and placed them in her cart before she went back out to her car. She had quite a lot of bags, and she sighed before she popped the trunk and started hefting them in. Thankfully, the work was mind-numbing and it was the perfect way to distract her.

"Need any help?"

Astrid jumped at the new voice and turned to find Hicup standing next to her car. She smiled brightly at him—a real, genuine smile. She instantly felt so much better seeing him there.

Hiccup blinked in surprise at her reaction before a grin spread across his own lips. They stood there for several moments, just smiling at each other until Astrid remembered that he had offered to help.

Before Astrid could even say anything, Hiccup started grabbing the grocery bags and helped her put them in her trunk. He quickly finished with the work, and Astrid could only smile as she watched him. He was dressed simply and easily, in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. But good Lord, did he wear those clothes well. When he realized that she was watching him, he stopped and turned to look at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing." she couldn't very well say that she had been checking him out. "You're just very chivalrous, that's all."

Hiccup's cheeks turned red and he shrugged his shoulders. Astrid found his modesty and shyness incredibly adorable. He had always been like that, even in high school. And now they were doing that thing where they were standing and smiling at each other once again.

Astrid's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her purse to find a text message from her mother. Her good mood instantly disappeared, as the text message was a reminder to visit her father the next day. Alexa had given her a list of things to bring to Evan, as well.

She sucked in a shaky breath as she dropped her phone back into her purse. She closed her eyes and massaged her fingers into her temples. This was just a lot to deal with.

"Hey." Hiccup's voice was gentle. He reached out and touched her arm, and Astrid's eyes fluttered open. His amber orbs were full of concern. "Astrid."

And that was all he needed to say before Astrid's eyes suddenly filled with tears. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes in an effort to keep the tears at bay. Hiccup's fingers wrapped around her wrists and he gently pulled her hands away. She couldn't believe that she was about to have a meltdown in the middle of the supermarket parking lot.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I didn't mean to…" Astrid trailed off and shook her head.

"Don't do that," Hiccup said. His hands slid from Astrid's wrists to her own hands. His palms were warm and comforting as they covered hers. "You're obviously upset, and you don't need to apologize for that. Just let me know what I can do."

Without realizing it, she squeezed Hiccup's hands. He was amazing. "Can you come with me to the hospital tomorrow?" she rushed out before she could think about it. Hiccup's presence calmed her. Bringing him to see Evan would make her feel so much better.

He looked alarmed as he pulled her closer, squeezing her hands in return. "You're okay, right? There's not something wrong—"

"No, it's nothing like that," Astrid assured him. "We're just going to visit someone. That's all."

Hiccup didn't ask questions. He wanted to, sure, but he didn't want to push Astrid even more than she had already pushed herself. Seeing that Astrid had been about to cry made Hiccup want to pull her into his arms and protect her from all of the bad things in the world. Instead, he squeezed her hands again.

"I'll go with you," he agreed. "Do you want me to drive?"

It was actually so nice of him to offer. She didn't know if she could force herself to drive. Going to visit Evan without the support of her mother was just a big deal for her. She felt so much better knowing that Hiccup was going with her.

"That would be great," Astrid said quietly as she looked down at their entwined hands. "Thanks."

Hiccup studied her before he carefully pulled her into his arms. Astrid closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest, reveling in the comfort that being in his arms gave her. He smoothed his large hands over her back.  
"Astrid, it's going to be okay," He murmured in her ear.

Astrid just held on to Hiccup tighter, because she knew that it really wasn't.


	5. Chapter 5

Hiccup was shocked when he saw Astrid approaching his truck. She was wearing a pretty red sun dress, but she was pale and looking down at the ground. He was so used to seeing her bright and happy, but there was so much more going on under the surface.

Hiccup got out of the car and went around to the other side to open the door for Astrid. She gave him a small smile in thanks, but still didn't say a word as she slid into the car. It was actually worrying Hiccup quite a bit; Astrid didn't seem like the kind of girl to hold everything in.

Even so, Hiccup didn't press her as he climbed back into the truck and headed towards the hospital. She had brought along a plate of her amazing banana bread, and she played with the plastic wrap covering it.

They didn't say anything, but they didn't need to. Astrid was comforted simply by Hiccup's presence. As he drove towards the hospital, Astrid distracted herself by thinking about what a wonderful man Hiccup was. When she had first seen him at the bar, she could sense the sadness and defeated attitude that he sometimes carried around with him. But past all of that, he just had a kind, wonderful heart. He needed to believe in himself more. Astrid found herself wanting to help him realize that he didn't have to be sad all of the time.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Hiccup gently touched her hand—they had arrived at the hospital. She gripped the plate carrying the baked goods tightly in her hands as Hiccup opened the car door once again. She climbed out of the car and stared up at the hospital. This shouldn't be this hard. She should be happy to see her papa, since she only had three to five months left to actually visit him.

But that was the problem. Astrid didn't want to think about losing her father. It hurt too much. In the back of her mind, she knew that it was going to happen eventually. But she didn't think that she would ever lose someone in her family—especially someone so close to her—to cancer.

Hiccup still didn't say a word. He simply held his hand out to Astrid. She felt as if she was about to cry once again, because he was offering her support without asking any questions. His presence was strong and reassuring.

Astrid slipped her hand into Hiccup's. Together, they walked into the hospital. Since Hiccup had no idea where they were going, Astrid had to lead him. Her steps were slow but constant as she made her way to the cancer wing. When Hiccup realized where they were going, he stepped closer to her and squeezed her hand.

When the girl knocked on her father's door, she heard him laugh. He was laughing as if nothing was wrong, and she didn't know if she wanted to laugh with him or cry. He was so strong. Even though he knew that he was going to die, he still lived his life and didn't slip into a depression. Astrid was amazed at her father.

"Astrid, you know that you don't have to knock," Evan said. "You can come in whenever you want to."

Astrid managed a smile. "Right," she said. Her hand was still tucked in Hiccups's, and she gripped it tightly as she stepped into the room. Hiccup stayed close behind her, and she wanted nothing more than to lean back into him. She stopped herself, however; despite how wonderful Hiccup had been, she didn't exactly know him well enough for that.

Evan immediately noticed Hiccup's presence. "And who is this?" Evan knew exactly who Hiccup was, but he was going to make Astrid say it. Just like Alexa, he was thrilled with the relationship his daughter seemed to be developing.

Astrid decided to appease her father. "This is Hiccup Haddock, dad. I hope you don't mind that he came with me to visit today."

"Of course not!" Evan exclaimed. He gestured to the chairs situated by the bed. "You should sit down."

Still holding onto Hiccup's hand, Astrid took the seat nearest to Evan's bed. It was as if Hiccup knew that she couldn't let go, because he pulled the other chair right up to Astrid's and sat down. It was obvious that Astrid's father had cancer, but he hadn't figured out much more than that. It explained a lot about Astrid's behavior, however.

Evan's eyes zeroed in on the way the boy was holding Astrid's hand. He looked at the younger man, and Hiccup could feel the tips of her ears turning red. Here he was, in front of Astrid's father, holding onto to her hand like he did it every day. Honestly, it really did feel that way, but he pushed that thought away. He just had to be there for Astrid right now.

Evan gave him an amused look but didn't comment on it. Instead, he turned to his daughter. "Why don't you tell me about the new parts you've been offered, little star?"

Astrid's eyes narrowed. "Mom talked to you, didn't she?" When Evan didn't say anything, she sighed. "I haven't exactly been offered another part. I still have to audition for them, you know."

"But you'll get them for sure," Evan said. Turning to Hiccup, he added, "Have you heard my little girl sing. She's quite the star, you know."

Astrid's cheeks turned bright pink. "Dad!" she protested. "I'm sure Hiccup was too busy to see one of the musicals while we were in high school." She gave Hiccup a small smile. "I won't hold it against you."

"Actually, I have seen some of the musicals," Hiccup admitted.

Astrid's eyes widened in surprise at his admission. "Have you really?"

Hiccup smiled at the look of complete and utter shock on Astrid's face. "Just because I wasn't involved in the theater department doesn't mean I didn't see some shows from time to time."

"You mean that teachers were handing out extra credit points if you went to go see the musicals," she deadpanned. She gave him this look with one eyebrow slightly arched, and he chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right. Guilty as charged, Astrid. But that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it." It was how Hiccup had remembered Astrid when she had walked into the bar. The first time he had heard she sing, she had only been a sophomore and he had been a senior. Her voice touched something in him that night, and he remembered that there hadn't been a single dry eye in the auditorium. He hadn't forgotten about it since then.

Astrid bit her lip as she looked up at him. Hiccup squeezed her hand again, and they did that thing where they just smiled at each other for an extended amount of time. Evan was practically beside himself watching the two young adults interact. Something was happening between them, and he was seeing it develop right before his eyes.

"I take it that you've heard Astrid sing, then," Evan said.

"Dad!" She exclaimed again. "Just because Hiccup enjoyed the show doesn't mean that he did because I was singing."

"That is why," he pointed out. When she turned to look at him, Hiccup sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I mean, the other parts of the plays were nice. But you're singing… it's really something else, Astrid."

Astrid was used to getting compliments. She got them all throughout her high school and college career. Due to her power and talent, it hadn't been difficult for her to find a part on TV. But there was something different about Hiccup's praise. His green eyes bored into hers, and it made her heart beat faster and her stomach flutter.

"Thank you," She said softly in response.

"If you thought that she was great in high school, you should hear her now," Evan said. "Will you sing for me sometime soon?"

And just like that, all of the lightness that Astrid had felt disappeared. Her dad wouldn't get to hear her sing for very much longer. He wouldn't get to see the new part she would get when she returned to New York. Astrid's chest constricted, and her grip tightened around Hiccup's hand once again. He shot her a worried look, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Seeing Hiccup's genuine and true concern and support for her was sure to make her cry.

"Of course, dad," She forced herself to say. "Whenever you want me to. I'll sing whatever you want, too."

Evan yawned. "Sing for me next time, Astrid. And you can pick whatever you want. Surprise me. I know it'll be a good song."

Astrid nodded her head. She could see that Evan was getting tired. Despite the fact that their visit hadn't been that long, it had really taken a lot out of him. He easily tired these days, but that was too be expected. That didn't make it any easier for Astrid, though.

"We should probably get going," She whispered. "You look tired."

Evan looked as if he was going to protest, but he ended up not doing it. Instead, he just nodded his head and smiled. "Give me a kiss and a hug."

Astrid took a deep breath and slowly released Hiccup's hand before she stood up. Leaning over, she kissed Evan's cheek and carefully hugged him. She held on to him as long as she could. Each hug now was more special than the last, because she didn't know when the last one would be.

Astrid stood and wrapped her arms around her body as Hiccup stood as well. He offered his hand to shake to Evan. The older man did so with a smile and a nod of his head; he didn't need to say anything, because Hiccup understood what Evan was trying to convey.

"I'll see you soon, princess," Evan said. "Love you."

Astrid gave her dad a real smile, then. "I love you too, dad."

* * *

Astrid was staring out the window, but she wasn't really seeing anything as Hiccup drove. She pulled herself from her reverie when he parked the truck and turned it off. She looked around at the semi-familiar surroundings before she turned to him with a questioning look on her face.

"Hiccup, what are we doing here?" It was a park that had been in Berk for as long as she could remember. Since it was the middle of the day during the week, it was empty. Hiccup, not saying anything, got out of the truck and opened the door for Astrid. He offered her his hand, and she took it.

"It didn't really seem like you were ready to go home," he said. "I thought you could use some time outside of the house for a little bit. I hope this is okay."

Astrid squeezed Hiccups's hand. How did he know her so well already? Home was the last place that she wanted to be at the moment. "It's perfectly alright, Hiccup."

Together, they made their way into the park. The girl took in the slide and the play castle and the old swing set. A small smile formed on her lips. "You know, I don't think I've been here since my sophomore year of high school."

"Really?" He leaned against the swing set. "What made you stop coming? Did you get too cool for it, or something?"

Astrid laughed. "No, it wasn't anything like that." She looked around the playground once again, and she couldn't help the sadness that filled her. "I guess I just got too busy."

Hiccup watched her for several long moments. "That's depressing," he stated.

"I know," She said with a sigh. It really was. She had stopped doing things like going to the playground or just relaxing and having fun once her junior year of high school rolled around. After that, it became about her future career.

"Well." Hiccup pushed off from the swing set and reached for Astrid's hand. He led her over to one of the swings and sat her down on it before he stepped behind her. He gently began to push her, his hand strong and firm on her back. "You're not busy now, are you?"

A bright smile formed on Astrid's lips, and she held on to the rusty chains of the swing. Nearly half an hour passed in silence as Hiccup pushed her on the swing. She had her eyes closed and she just reveled in the feeling of being free and light for that time.

But as always, reality crept back up on her. She gripped the chain of the swing tighter, and the words spilled from her mouth without any thought.

"My dad only has three to five months left to live."

Hiccup gently tugged the swing to a stop. He made his way to the front of the swing and put his hands on Astrid's shoulders. She was staring down at the ground; for once, she wasn't about to cry. She just forced herself to say it as it was.

Hiccup tucked two fingers under Astrid's chin and tilted her face up. Without a word, Hiccup tugged her from the swing and pulled her into his arms. One hand tangled in her hair as the other smoothed up and down her back.

As Hiccup held her, all she could think was this was the place she wanted to be.


	6. Chapter 6

Astrid's admission kept Hiccup distracted all throughout his shift at the bar. It even kept him up all night. He had no idea how Astrid herself was dealing this, but he could see that she was barely holding it together at some points. Hiccup was in awe of the strength she had displayed thus far.

He was even more in awe of Evan's. It made Hiccup think about his own life and the things he could have done. Knowing someone that knew they were going to die and was at peace with it really put things into perspective.

Hiccup sat up in bed and dragged his hands through his messy hair. Astrid had asked to see him again today, and of course Hiccup had said yes. If there was anything that he could do to help, he was going to do it.

Maybe Hiccup should have been afraid of the way he was willing to do anything he could for Astrid, but he really wasn't. It felt good, it felt… alive. This was the best that Hiccup had felt in years. He was amazed to realize that all he had needed was someone else—someone special—to feel this way.

He climbed out of bed and jumped into the shower. Astrid had asked Hiccup to come over as early as he could, so he assumed that she wanted to be distracted today. Whatever she wanted to do, Hiccup was going to do it.

Hiccup got dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He sent a quick text off to Astrid before he got into his truck and headed over to Astrid's childhood home. It wasn't that far from his mother and stepfather's house, actually. Hiccup wondered if they knew what was happening to Evan.

Astrid opened the door to greet Hiccup just as he stepped out of his truck. She was wearing a bright smile, and Hiccup was glad to see that she was in some type of good mood. Hiccup didn't doubt that Astrid was putting on a bit of a front, but he understood it.

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup greeted as he went up the walkway. "How are things going today?"

Astrid's smile faltered just a bit. "Things are just fine," she said.

Hiccup gave her a gentle smile. "Well, I hope you have something good planned for today. I'm a bartender, Astrid. I have to stay up late during the night, so getting up in the morning is a really big deal for me."

Astrid pushed playfully at his shoulder. "You did say that I could ask you over whenever I wanted to. You gave no stipulations."

"And here I thought I was being nice," Hiccup teased. "So let's go already."

Astrid reached out and took Hiccup's hand. He let her lead him into the kitchen, where she stopped in front of the oven. "I decided that I'm going to teach you how to make banana bread."

"Oh really?" Hiccup asked. "I thought that was your thing."

"It is, but I hear that you're quite the cook. I want to see if you can handle the banana bread."

"Challenge accepted," Hiccup said confidently with a wink.

Astrid grinned at him (and she blushed once again; the things Hiccup did to her...) and put on her favorite purple apron. She fished another apron from the pile—this one was pink and frilly. With a straight face, she handed it to Hiccup. "Go on. You need to wear an apron. I'd hate for you to ruin your t-shirt. Besides, you've already worn an apron like this!"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the apron and then up at Astrid. She didn't falter at all, but a smirk began to form on her lips. Hiccup took the apron from Astrid and tugged it over his head. Astrid started laughing, but she attempted to cover it up by pressing a hand to her mouth.

"What are laughing at?" Hiccup demanded playfully. "I think I can pull this apron off."

"Oh yes," Astrid managed around her giggles. "Ruffles are definitely your thing."

Hiccup pointed at the ingredients that Astrid already had set up. "I know you're checking me out, Astrid, but you promised to teach me how to make this famous banana bread of yours."

Astrid's cheeks turned bright red, but she was still laughing. Hiccup grinned as he watched her. It was so nice to hear her laugh for real again. Her whole face lit up when she did. If he had to wear the pink and frilly apron in order for her to laugh, then he would do it.

Astrid started explaining the way she prepared the banana bread and the special ingredients that she used. Hiccup simply watched her; he didn't really pay attention to the actual process. It was just more about watching Astrid and seeing how much she enjoyed herself.

Astrid may have been some big star, but it was clear to see that she loved doing this such as this. She liked spending lazy Saturdays baking and hanging out with her friends. Despite the fact that she was now accustomed to the fast-paced life of New York City, she liked slowing things down just as much.

"Are you even paying attention right now?"

Astrid's voice sliced through Hiccup's musings. "What?"

A smile played on Astrid's lips. "I'm trying to teach you something, Hiccup."

"I know. You just look like you're really enjoying yourself."

Astrid looked over at the batter she had placed in the bread pan. The longer she looked at it, the more her smile faded. She let a long sigh and turned to slide the pan into the pre-heated oven.

"My dad showed me this recipe," Astrid revealed quietly. "He was always the one who had cooked for us. My mom used to sit and watch him and say that it was one of his favorite things to do." A light laugh escaped Astrid as she remembered things from her childhood. "She can't cook at all, so my dad passed down everything he knew to me. I can't cook, exactly, but I can bake well."

Hiccup stepped closer to Astrid. He settled against the counter next to her, leaning against it. "That sounds like a lot of fun."

Astrid smiled and got lost in the memories. "We used to do it almost every weekend. My dad would teach me how to cook and my mom would watch us. I always used to imagine that when I had kids, he would still be there to cook with us. But now…" She trailed off and bit her lip.

Hiccup was at a loss for what to say. He couldn't say that everything was going to be okay, because it clearly wasn't. Astrid was going to lose one of her parents, and that was something that they couldn't change no matter what happened.

"I brought dad some of the banana bread," Astrid continued. "Yesterday, remember? It's always been his favorite. But he's too sick to keep any of it down. He can't even eat it but I left it there anyway because I don't even feel like eating it anymore."

"I think he still likes it," Hiccup blurted. He could have kicked himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He couldn't come up with anything better than that? That was probably the last thing that Astrid wanted to hear right now.

Astrid looked up at Hiccup with wide, sad eyes. "What?"

He couldn't do much worse, so Hiccup decided to try and explain himself. "I think that you dad knows that the whole process of making banana bread is something special between the two of you. It's something that all of you shared together. Even though he may not be able to eat it, I'm sure that he still appreciates it."

Astrid watched him for several long moments and Hiccup wondered if he had completely screwed this up. He always did have a bad case of word vomit, and it had picked the worst time to appear. Hiccup ran his hand through his hair and waited for Astrid to say something—anything.

What did come out of her mouth surprised Hiccup completely. Astrid turned to face Hiccup fully and she said, "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

Hiccup's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I… really?"

Astrid nodded her head. "Every time I see you, you find some way to make me feel better with just a few words." She bit her lip and brushed her fingers across Hiccup's chest lightly. Truth be told, she really wanted Hiccup to pull her into his arms again. The comfort and safety she felt in his arms was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

It was like Hiccup could read her mind. He put one large hand on her shoulder and tugged her towards him. Astrid buried her face in Hiccup's chest and he rubbed his hands in circles up and down her back.

This was exactly what Astrid needed. She couldn't really run from her problems, but it felt good to know that Hiccup would be there for her when she needed it. He pulled her closer and pressed his cheek to the top of Astrid's head.

"I wish there was something else I could do for you, Astrid," he muttered.

Astrid's eyes fluttered closed and she sank further into his embrace. "You don't need to do anything else, Hiccup. This is perfect."

* * *

After that, their day became significantly lighter. Hiccup helped Astrid divide up the freshly baked banana bread (while managing to snag a piece for himself and talking Astrid into eating one as well) and package it up for her neighbors.

Then Astrid regulated Hiccup to a marathon of her favorite movies—all of which included Barbara Streisand. Hiccup managed to actually stay awake because Astrid sang along with every song. Her voice really was something else.

Hiccup and Astrid were still hanging out when Alexa returned home. She didn't even bother to hide his grin as she watched the two young adults interact. Astrid was so easygoing and happy around Hiccup. It was a nice change to see, since Alexa knew that Astrid hadn't really been dealing with what was happening very well.

Astrid excused herself to go upstairs for a few moments, leaving Hiccup alone with Alexa in the kitchen. The older woman looked around, taking in the residue from Hiccup and Astrid's baking excursion earlier that day.

"I'm assuming that Astrid told you all about how I can't cook," Alexa said.

Hiccup chuckled. "She might have mentioned something about that, yeah."

Alexa smiled. "I think it was Astrid's favorite part of the weekend—even more so than all of the dancing and singing lessons she had. But I don't think she'll ever admit to it."

"She told me so earlier today when she was teaching me how to make the bread," Hiccup said.

"Really?" Alexa looked surprised at Hiccup's revelation. He hadn't thought that Astrid would ever admit that to a person, let alone someone she had really only just started hanging out with. "She said that?"

"She did," Hiccup affirmed.

"Hmm…" Alexa looked thoughtful for a moment before he suddenly grew serious. "I just wanted to thank you, Hiccup. You're doing a really wonderful thing for Astrid."

Hiccup's brow furrowed. "What am I doing, exactly?" he asked. He just wanted to be there for Astrid if she needed him. He didn't think that it was too special, because any person with a heart would do that. But apparently Alexa thought he was doing something near magical.

"Astrid trusts you," Alexa said. "I can tell. She needs someone like you right now."

Hiccup slowly nodded his head. He couldn't really think of anything to say in response to that, so he just let Alexa's words hang. It wasn't long before Astrid returned from the second floor of the house. She was wearing a smile on her face, and one formed on Alexa's becauses he hadn't seen his daughter this genuinely happy since she had returned home.

"What are you two talking about?" Astrid asked as she sat down at the island next to Hiccup.

Hiccup opened his mouth to say nothing much (because he thought that Astrid wouldn't exactly appreciate that they had been discussing her state of emotions), but Alexa beat him to the chase with something that he hadn't been expecting.

"I was actually just about to invite Hiccup to the dinner party that I'm having tomorrow night." Alexa smiled at his daughter. "I thought it might nice for you to have someone you know there."

Astrid clapped in excitement. "Oh, that would be wonderful!" Astrid definitely wanted Hiccup to go to the dinner party. She would feel much more comfortable having him there with her.

Hiccup was pleased by her obvious enthusiasm. "Sure, I'll be happy to go. Thank you for the invite."

As Alexa began to explain to Hiccup the details about the dinner party, Astrid sat back in her chair and couldn't help the bright smile that formed on her lips. Even though Astrid knew that she had to face her problems at some point, it was nice to just have this time… and it was even nicer that she was sharing it with Hiccup.


	7. Chapter 7

"What are you doing?"

Hiccup turned towards Astrid with a sheepish look. He held up both ends of his tie and gave Astrid an adorable look that she honestly couldn't resist. "I'm having a little bit of trouble right now."

Astrid giggled. "I can see that. Do you really not know how to tie a tie?"

Hiccup actually pouted a little bit, and Astrid thought that he couldn't get any more adorable if he tried. "I always had someone else to do it for me," he admitted. "I never did it the right way, apparently." A dark look passed over Hiccup's face after that statement, but it quickly disappeared. Astrid bit her lip but didn't question it. Instead, she grabbed both ends of the loose tie and tugged Hiccup closer to her.

Astrid kept her eyes focused on knotting Hiccup's tie, instead of the way her entire body tingled at being so near to him. She quickly and expertly tied it and centered it slightly. She looked up at Hiccup and found him wearing that half smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"Thanks, Astrid," he said as she stepped back.

"You're welcome," Astrid returned. She turned to check her reflection in the mirror, making sure that her hair was behaving and the hem of her dress was straight. She could still feel Hiccup's eyes on her, and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"What? Is there something on my dress?" she asked, worried that it was in the back and she hadn't noticed it before she had put it on. It was a pretty light pink dress with thin straps that crisscrossed over her back, perfect for the warmer weather that had suddenly descended upon Berk.

Hiccup shook his head. "No. You just look beautiful, that's all."

"Oh." Astrid's cheeks flushed and she bit her lip. "Thank you."

He grinned before he offered her his arm. "Ready to go downstairs?"

With a smile, Astrid slid her hand into the crook of Hiccup's arm. Together, they made their way down the stairs and into the living room, where the party was already in full swing. Astrid pressed on Hiccup's arm in order to steer him away from all of the unknown people and into the kitchen, where her father was.

"Mom, do you need help with anything?" Astrid asked.

"The caterers have everything under control," Alexa said. "So don't worry about it. But look at the two of you! Hiccup, you have to let me take a picture of you and Astrid for your mother. She told me that she wanted to see the both of you all dressed up."

Hiccup's cheeks turned red and Astrid blanched. "Mom!" she exclaimed. "Have you been talking to Hiccup's mother?"

"She lives close, Astrid." Alexa said it easily, like it wasn't that big of a deal. Still, Astrid couldn't believe that her mother had talked about this with Hiccup's mother (but really, though, it shouldn't have surprised her. Alexa was the type to meddle). "We chat from time to time."

Astrid sent him an apologetic look, but he just smiled down at her. It was then that she realized that her hand was still tucked into Hiccup's arm. She was actually kind of pressed against Hiccup's side. If Hiccup had noticed, he hadn't made a move to pull away, so Astrid didn't either.

In Astrid's study of him, she hadn't realized that he was watching her watch him. It wasn't until she heard her daddy's phone go off that Astrid was pulled out of her Hiccup-induced trance. She turned to face Alexa and found her grinning as hrt snapped several more photos.

"Mom!" she exclaimed again.

Alexa ignored her. "Now I need one where both of you are looking at the camera. So get together and smile!"

Hiccup and Astrid did as Alexa directed. Astrid slid her hand up Hiccup's chest and he wrapped his arm around her waist as they turned towards the camera in the phone and smiled. Her mother made an excited noise when she finished but refused to let Astrid see the picture when she tried to approach her.

"I'm going to send this off to Valka!" Alexa declared as she locked her phone and slid it back into his pocket.

"Mom, let me see it," Astrid said even though Alexa's phone was already hidden.

"Don't worry, princess. It's a wonderful picture. I'm sure you'll see it at some point." Alexa pointed to several serving dishes as a distraction. "Would you two mind taking some of the appetizers out? We still have about half an hour to go before dinner and I have to go talk up some potential clients."

Astrid went to pick up one of the platters, but Hiccup beat her to it, leaving her with one of the smaller ones. She smiled at him and bumped his hip with hers as she took the small dish out into the crowd. Alexa watched them go, wondering which one of them would own up to their feelings first. Even more than that, she wondered how soon it would happen.

"I'm sorry about the thing with my mother and the pictures," Astrid said as she and Hiccup set the dishes on the coffee table in the living room.

"I didn't mind it," He told her. "I'm sure my mom would have called asking for pictures anyway."

Astrid laughed and went to say something, but one of her mother's co-workers interrupted her. He was a loud, boisterous man that was often the first one to get drunk at the holiday party, and Astrid had no doubt that that would be the case this time. In fact, she could already smell the wine coming off the guy.

"Astrid! It's been a while since I've seen you at one of these things!" he exclaimed loudly.

Astrid gave him a polite smile. "Mr. Walker, it's nice to see you again." Figuring she should be a proper daughter of the host, she turned to Hiccup and introduced, "Hiccup, this is one of my father's co-workers, Chase Walker. Mr. Walker, this is my… this is Hiccup Haddock."

Astrid didn't know why she faltered on what to call Hiccup. Actually, she did know, but she just didn't want to admit it. She didn't want Hiccup to hear her calling him her friend, because she didn't want to give him the idea that that was all she wanted. But what if Hiccup didn't want the same thing as her? What if he only wanted to be friends and didn't feel the same things she was feeling?

If Hiccup noticed how Astrid stumbled over the words, he didn't mention it. Instead, he held his hand out to Chase and said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Walker."

Chase returned the hand shake as he gave Hiccup a curious look. "Hmmm, Hiccup Haddock? Why do I know that name? Oh, I know why! You were the starting quarterback for the Berk Titans, weren't you?"

Something happened to Hiccup then. He tensed completely, his jaw locking like it had at the dinner that Astrid had attended with his parents. Hiccup nodded his head slowly, and his voice was stiff as he spoke. He was doing his best to keep his face pleasant but otherwise expressionless. "Yeah. That was me."

Chase clearly didn't see how uncomfortable his question had made Hiccup. "Whatever happened to you, Haddock? You disappeared after the championship game your senior year! Damn, that was a great game. What a win! The Titans haven't had a team that good since then."

Hiccup's fists clenched and the vein in his jaw popped dangerously. Seeing this, Astrid grabbed his hand and stepped between Chase and Hiccup. She laced their fingers together and squeezed supportively.

"Mr. Walker, I think I hear my father calling us to help him with something," Astrid said quickly. Without giving Chase a chance to reply, Astrid tugged Hiccup from the room. She was surprised when he went with her without struggle, since he could have easily forced Astrid to change direction.

Astrid pulled Hiccup down the hallway and into the recreational room at the back of the house. Hiccup still had a stormy look on his face, and the vein in his jaw was still throbbing. Astrid took his hands in both of hers and settled in front of him.

"Hiccup, look at me," Astrid said gently. Hiccup was still glaring at the ground, so Astrid squeezed his hands. "Come on, Hiccup. Look at me."

Finally, Hiccup looked at Astrid. She smiled at him and saw the way his face relaxed just a little bit. "Do you want to tell me what got you so worked up back there?"

"Not really," Hiccup admitted. He gave her an apologetic look, and Astrid just nodded her head in understanding. She could totally get that there were some things people didn't want to talk about. She was the same way about her father. She didn't want to talk about what was happening unless she absolutely had to. She supposed that everyone had that one thing in their life that they were closed off about.

"Alright, that's fine," Astrid said gently. Her thumbs rubbed over the backs of his hands. "Do you want to just take a deep breath, then?"

That got Hiccup to crack a smile. He shook his head as his hands tightened around hers. "Really, Astrid?"

"Really!" Astrid said brightly. "It works, you know. It helps calm you down and center yourself."

"I think I'll be just fine, Astrid. But thank you for pulling me out of there before I said something stupid. I kind of have a tendency to get really angry."

"Really?" Astrid was intrigued by this information. In the two years that they had been in high school together, Astrid didn't think she had ever seen Hiccup get angry like that. But then again, this was the first time that she was getting to really know him (and despite how she didn't want to see him angry, she couldn't deny that Hiccup was very attractive when his temper spiked a little bit. Then again, Hiccup was attractive all the time).

Hiccup looked a little sheepish, and he rubbed the back of his neck. Astrid could see that this was something that he did when he got nervous or embarrassed. "Sometimes I don't have a very good handle on my temper. But, you know. I've been working on it a little bit. Working in a bar helps. I have to deal with some pretty obnoxious people."

Astrid smiled a little at that before she stroked her thumbs over the back of Hiccup's hands. "You'll be okay. You know that, right?"

Hiccup shook his head a little bit. "You don't even know what happened, Astrid."

"That may be true, but I really do believe that you'll be okay." Astrid smiled brightly at Hiccup. He was right. She didn't know exactly what had happened to him in the seven years since he had graduated high school. She didn't know why he was still in Lima, and she didn't know why he had the sad look in his eyes most nights. But she did know that, somehow, everything was going to work out for Hiccup Haddock.

Hiccup stared down at Astrid, his amber eyes boring into hers. Then, without a word, Hiccup hauled Astrid into his arms and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck. Astrid spread her tiny hands over his back and closed her eyes as Hiccup held her.

She didn't know how long they stood there, just holding on to each other like that. In any case, it made both Astrid and Hiccup feel so much better. They didn't need to say anything; just their shared touch was enough.

Astrid heard her mother call for them, and she jumped out of Hiccup's arms and went to head Alexa off before she could find them alone in the back room. Hiccup chuckled at her antics and Astrid made a face at him over her shoulder before she called, "We'll be right out, Mom!"

Turning around to face Hiccup once again, she walked towards him and took her hand. Looking down, she couldn't believe the size difference between them. She was holding one of Hiccup's large hands between both of hers, and her hands looked so small in comparison to his.

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup smiled down at her and pulled her close again, squeezing briefly around her shoulders before he let go. Astrid found herself wishing that Hiccup would still keep her wrapped in his embrace, and she blushed at the thought.

"I think I'll be just fine," Hiccup said, pulling Astrid from her thoughts. "Thank you, Astrid."

"Of course, Hiccup," Astrid said. She was pleasantly surprised when Hiccup took her hand and led her back out into the dinner party. Both were smiling the entire time.


End file.
